ASHA Learning Pass

This session discusses a project, funded by a PATH-PWIDD grant, that established a cross-sector national consortium of self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), family advocates, community providers, and health care professionals. The consortium guides and evaluates an environmental scan and literature review on best practices in educating health care professional students in the care of persons with IDD, including health care professional students addressing communication disorders.

This course is a recorded session from the 2021 ASHA Convention Virtual Library (session 2110V). The session was part of the Health and Health Care Equity in Communication Disorders Research Symposium.

Learning Outcomes
You will be able to:

• Describe how health care disparities impact engagement of persons with IDD and communication disorders 
• Apply key literature findings that can impact and improve your practice in health care for persons with IDD and communication disorders 
• Describe potential gaps in SLP and audiology health care professional education that can impact health care and outcomes for persons with IDD and communication disorders

Presenter Information

Megan Morris, PhD, MPH, CCC-SLP (Presenting Author), is an Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Morris is a health services researcher who aims to address and promote equitable and accessible health care for patients with diverse types of communication disabilities. She focuses on provider and health care organization-level factors that negatively impact the quality of care delivered to patients with disabilities.

Financial Disclosures:

• Stipend and registration fee waived for 2021 ASHA Convention for role as coordinator for the 2021 ASHA Symposium

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• No nonfinancial relationships relevant to the content of the session

The work of Sarah H. Ailey, PhD, RN, PHNA-BC, CNE, CDDN, FAAN (Presenting Author), is concentrated on partnering with persons with disabilities on strategies to reduce health disparities and improve their lives. She is the Principal Investigator on the Administration for Community Living healthcare workforce development grant Partnering with Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) to Improve Health Outcomes and on the NIH-funded Steps to Effective Problem-solving clinical trial of a cognitive-behavioral intervention among persons with IDD with the aim to reduce problem behaviors.

Financial Disclosures:

• Administration for Community Living healthcare workforce development grant, Partnering with Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) to Improve Health Outcomes
• ASHA Convention registration waived as an invited speaker

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• President of the Alliance for Disability in Healthcare Education

Carole Schwartz, MS, OTR/L (Presenting Author), is currently adjunct faculty at Rush University. Schwartz co-advises OT doctoral students on the research project Improving Healthcare for Persons with Functional Impairments of Cognition and Communication. Schwartz is a member of Alliance for Disability HealthCare Education and consortium member/advisor to Rush University’s ACL grant, Partnering with Persons with IDD to Improve Health Outcomes. Formerly, Schwartz was a post-acute care quality measurement developer at Research Triangle Institute, International; Center of Rehabilitation Outcomes Research; and former Senior Policy Advisor at IL Dept on Aging.

Financial Disclosures:

• Travel stipend for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Co-advisor for Rush University OTD student's research project
• Professional association and volunteer position with Rush University Medical Center Dept of Occupational Therapy
• Consortium/advisory member for the Rush ACL Grant Partnering with Persons with IDD to Improve Health Outcomes
• Member of ADHCE (Alliance of Disability for Health Care Education), which produced the Core Competencies for Disability Education

Assessment Type

Self-assessment—Think about what you learned and report on the Completion Form how you will use your new knowledge.

To earn continuing education credit, you must complete the learning assessment by December 9, 2027.

Program History and CE Information

Content origination date: November 2021
End date: December 9, 2027

This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs (Advanced level, Professional area).